The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1887-10-19
A NOTED PRISON.
EXTERIOR AND INTERIOR OF
THE NEW YORK TOMBS.
A Tour Through the Sombre Build
ing - The Female and Boys
Departments s-Murderers'
Row-Twecd's Old Cell.

He says: Built of massive gray masonry,
the huge columns, almost clumsy in
architectural strength, present to the eye
nothing of beauty or symmetry, put
rather of bondage and captivity. The
building, is at random guess, ninety feet
in height. 1t incloses square OF ground.
covering four streets, on either side OF
which looms up solid wall of masonry,
heavy in square blocks of cold gray
stone. In architectural design it is OF
the pure Egyptian. The entablature,
severely plain, is relieved at its main en-
trance on Centre street by ten or twelve
Corinthian columns. At the apex of
each is rampant a serpent of smallish size,
twisted in contorted shape Outwardly
the CRIME and dirt of many years have
collected on the columns, which, with
the natural damp of the stone, give its
exterior a repugnant look. On all sides
of this celebrated prison crime and vice
hold high carnival Whatever the
original intent of the location, its close
contiguity to the criminal class makes 1t
most appropriate.
I visited the famous prison one day
this week. At the entrance met with
rather gruff cordiality. The pass I pre-
sented gave me entry into narrow hall
which debouched at the Center street
side sufficiently under ground to afford
Office room for several officers working
at desks, all of whom wore blush
uniform, with some gold gilt to give it
garish effect. At the end of the narrow
hall was an iron swinging gate, behind
which stood spectacled officer VINO at
the time was surrounded by a squalid
group of males and females, whom to )k
to be the friends of the unfortunates
within. In the course of ten minutes |
was turned over to detected "runner,"
as they called him, and with him was to
do the prison. He first led me to what
he informed me was the "Female De-
partment," and turned me over to the
Inspector, who proved to be e good faced
woman, suggestive of matronly instincts.
The inmates of this department num-
bered forty three, and dozen or
more of them. wholly Indifferent to
the intrusion of q stranger, kept at their
sewing or reading. Those saw were
rather an inanimate lot, not at all repul-
sive in outline, but still of class one
would scarcely put on the visiting list
To The question as to the nature of the
transgressions of the female hostages,
the answer came that their derelic. ,0ns
were as manifold as the female tempera-
ment, mostly shop lifting and confidence
schemes, until it ascended to black-mail
ing and infanticide, and in one case a
murderess. The women bore con-
tented look. During the day they are
allowed the freedom of the corridor, but
at night they are locked up in narrow,
well-lighted cells They take their meals
en- famille, in rather sunny, clean room
allotted for the purpose. They are con-
fined in new addition to the building,
having four galleries for cellular space.
Once more in the hands of my sham
bling guide, he led me up three pairs of
iron steps to the boys department. 1t re-
quired no label to designate this allotted
space. There was pandemonium going
on. About thirty boys, the eldest Of,
whom, should say, not over fourteen,
were locked up in cells in pairs. In the
one cell from whence the noise notably
came three were confined, and dispute
was on touching the result of a game of
gold sledge, Yin which they were en-
''aged.
The so-called officer with me made no
effort to reconcile their differences, but
rather enjoyed it, and we passed them on
to arbitrate their disputes as best they
might. The boys seemed to be rather
bril- ght-faced set, not with hardened out
lines of face, but pestiferious beggars-
Each wanted chew of tobacco and a
nickel thrown in. "What are these boys
in forl" 1 asked. "Oh, for everything"
said my sphynx, "and," he added,
''some of them are hard lot, and some
of them are smart one."
Descending the steps again, I was led
to the courtyard of the prison. This
gave me the better chance to judge of
the interior. The buildings are four in
number The Tombs proper is of two an
giles of square-cut stone, built to stay,
years and years ago. The other two are
of yellowish brick, recently put up to
accommodate the one the female and
boys prison, and the other for Offices and
the like connected with the Police Court.
The inner yard is paved with granite
blocks, square in cut, with the look of
age about them. Not vestige of grass,
or flower, or shade met the eye. Simply
the blue sky of heaven overhead, to see
which one must overlook the high prison
walls, with apertures cut in them across,
instead of lengthwise.
In one of the angles of the yard is the
allotted space where New York murder
ers are executed. My guide took me to
stone about the center of the lateral,
notably larger than all the rest. "Right
about here" he said "is where the con-
demned man stands to meet his death. !"
A life goes out from hence having for
tie last lingering look only the forbid
ding high masonry of the walls which
flank the inclosure, veritable place of
desolation and sloug gh of despond.
Retracing the steps we had taken |
entered the old building. "New," said
the guide. you are in the genuine
Tombs- Over there" he added, "is
murderers' row." Eight cells numbered
in sequence, with bold figures ia white
paint, made up the row allotted to the
followers of Cain. They were, for the
most part, dreary and dark, about four
eet in width and eight in length, the
light entering from slit overhead. In
Me third cell the celebrated Boss Tweed
was confined. Here he Jared as the less
distinguished prisoners, save that he fur
nished his own cell, privilege granted
my inmate. In lace and drapery, with